OPINIONS

I write this with a heavy heart. My normal, optimistic demeanor has been sidetracked by the recent announcement by the Mississippi State Legislature to effectively kill the name change for our University. I am truly hopeful that the Mississippi University for Women will be able to survive as a standalone institution, but I am also realistic… and I know that our name is a tremendous hindrance on our ability to recruit students. The statistics are remarkable.

My drill sergeant comes by to make sure I’m not about to pass out every five minutes or so. It’s obvious to her that other than a couple months’ worth of early morning walks with my sister last year this is my first true workout in well over three years, and I’m struggling.

A Facebook friend made the comment today that with the New Orleans Saints' win in the Super Bowl, the name Drew is sure to take off. Expectant moms and dads everywhere will be looking to impart some Drew Brees magic on their offspring.

I wanted to thank The Dispatch for its coverage of the current Starkville School District uniform debate. It has turned out to be a sensitive issue in the community. I can honestly say, it has made me and many other parents realize we need to be paying better attention to what is happening in our own backyard — and this means attention to bigger issues than uniforms. I thought I was doing enough by helping out in my son’s class when needed, participating in fundraisers, etc., but I was wrong, and I am embarrassed by my lack of involvement.

Mississippi University for Women supporters; New Hope High School junior Meredith Barefield; Columbus Cultural Heritage Foundation; Gen. Joseph Fant; and Kabir Karriem and other organizers of the Seventh Avenue Festival.

Starting this month, the Columbus Police Department is putting a greater emphasis on serving outstanding warrants on subjects who are in violation of the law. This includes the numerous criminal warrants that have not been served and people who are in contempt of court in regard to unpaid fines.

In Mein Kamp Hitler demonstrated that he understood the power of the “big lie.” Being more genteel than he, I prefer to call the repetitions, distortions, denials and ad hominem attacks on MUW alumnae who oppose the name change – myths. In the interest of accuracy in journalism, I want to bust a few of those myths.

If the actions of the Senate Universities and Colleges Committee are any indication, the Legislature won’t pursue a name change for Mississippi University for Women this session. A bill that would give the Institute for Higher Learning authority to rename the school and would likely result in a new gender-neutral name died for lack of a motion late Monday afternoon.

In an effort to make successful students out of all children, the American education system is thwarting and inhibiting the majority of students who must carry the heavy burden of disruptive, malcontented, students who destroy classroom discipline.